Don't You Want Me Baby?

Yes, I absolutely do want you Tyler, you fictional dreamboat, and I was surprised (but enthralled) by how much Amber was able to resist your charms!

Tyler is the sweetest, sexiest fictional stud muffin and I loved him! He was so kind, protective, selfless towards Amber and truly earned my respect and admiration, as well as Amber's. He has a mysterious moody air to him too, which made him all the more interesting.

Amber is a wonderful character. She is hardworking, ambitious and stubborn, but at the same time she is vulnerable, soft and funny. She really needs, and deserves the kind of love you find only in books and fairytales. Can Tyler be the one?

Well, I was hoping it wouldn't be Brad. He was the slimiest, nastiest piece of work and I disliked him very much! I read my books out loud sometimes when my children are settling for bed (clean / appropriate bits only), and we got to a part where Bradley is described as a conniving, lying, rat or words to that effect, and even my daughter was shocked by his actions. "Big men should know better!" She said, and amen to that.

I love the wonderful Rachel Dove and once again she has delivered in every way. 😍 There are great well developed characters that you either love to love or love to hate, an exploration of important themes like family, independence, ambition, friendship and loyalty. Finally, there is the ideal balance of sweetness with humour and spice! This book was a massive emotional rollercoaster and I was fully invested in this story, set in the comfortable community atmosphere of a little country pub.

I just finished Don't You Want Me Baby, and wow, I couldn't put it down! From the very first page, I was completely hooked. Rachel Dove has a remarkable way of drawing you into the story, making you feel like you're right there with the characters.

The pacing was perfect—each chapter left me eager to turn the page and find out what would happen next. The chemistry between the main characters was electric, and their witty banter had me laughing out loud. I loved how their relationship developed, filled with both tension and tenderness.

Dove masterfully weaves in themes of love, self-discovery, and the complexities of modern relationships. I found myself reflecting on my own experiences as I followed the characters on their journey. The plot twists were unexpected and kept me guessing, which made the reading experience even more thrilling.

Overall, Don't You Want Me Baby is a delightful read that combines humor, heart, and a touch of drama.

Super cute friends to lovers with a pregnancy trope. A fun weekend read that made me smile. The MMC gives major cinnamon roll vibes and his devotion is sweet.

This was a great romance book! The story was really interesting and it kept my attention the whole time!

Torture. Reading this book was absolute torture. The plot was non existent, the story seemed to be going nowhere. The characters were one dimensional that did absolutely nothing to get what they wanted. The humor was questionable and the romance wasn't there at all. And the lack of proper adult conversation had me losing my mind all throughout the book. I wasn't rooting for any of these characters at all. Do not recommend.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun book. It got off to kind of a slow start, but I started to really enjoy it after that.

This book was fab. Just the thing to distract me from the awful weather outside. Amber is a great main female character a little badass and a little vulnerable. Tyler is hot! I think we all need a Tyler in our lives! The will they, won’t they was almost frustrating at times as I was willing them to get their act together. I’m so happy they got their HEA

This is my first Rachel Dove book.
Thanks to Netgalley, for the ARC, I will also now seek out her other books to have a read.

I enjoyed the story surprisingly, because I would say the cover art was the main bottleneck in me beginning the book and it did not really reflect the story. Where's the lumberjack shirt on the leading man? Where is the "I can do everything by myself" vibe on the cover woman?

But I digress. This book was an easy read, and kept me reading to find out if Amber really what she did to try to get a child. In my mind I was saying noooooo, single parenthood is not easy!! Don't be impulsive!!

I would encourage you to read this book to see if she did or didn't do it.

Don't You Want Me Baby by Rachel Dove ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Amber's life dream has always been to run her grandmother's pub when she passed but Brad had other plans for their lives together. She finally has enough of his ways and leaves him to pursue her dreamers.

Amber becomes everyone's friend instead of the boss. Her chef Tyler is head over heels for her, but she plays hard to get. That doesn't stop Tyler from pursuing her.
Definitely chemistry, fun, sexy and a few spicy🌶 scenes..

Continue reading to find out if the will or not....

Good recommendation

Don't You Want Me Baby? is a cute friends-to-lovers romance. It took our characters a minute to get there but once Amber and Tyler were on the same page, I sighed in relief. During the last half of the book when Amber continued to make excuses and push Tyler away, I questioned her decision-making skills. I wasn't sure we were going to get our HEA.

Amber is a strong character but only after she finally pulls her big girl panties up and kicks her boyfriend out. I didn't like him at all, and while the backstory about Brad had him seeming to be a good guy, his character in the present was anything but. I love that Amber has goals but I hated how she thought she could only do them alone, especially when there are people who want to go along with her on her journeys. We all need people in our lives in certain capacities. I don't think everyone wants or needs a partner, mate, or spouse, but pushing away friends sets you up for a lot of loneliness.

Tyler is a wonderful character. Caring, gentle, but also broody and, during some part so the book, standoffish. He's wanted her pretty much since the day he met her but then Brad got in the way so he backed off. Now that Amber and Brad's relationship is over, Tyler finally has the opportunity to make Amber his. Except, she doesn't want to ruin what they have. There's a lot of miscommunication but that just makes their HEA a lot more satisfying.

I enjoyed the author's writing style. The character development was done well and I enjoyed the world-building. Both Amber and Tyler are perfectly flawed, and I loved how the author brought them together. While I would have enjoyed seeing more of Amber and Tyler's romance and less of their angst, denial, and arguments, all of these events led to the HEA both characters deserved. This is the first book by Rachel Dove I've read and can't wait to dive into more of her work.

Now I have to say, I do love a slow burn, but sometimes they get frustrating. You spend ages waiting for the couple to be together because you know they will and then you don't see anything of them. Here this is a slow burn with a difference, both of them want the best for each other. They know they are meant to be but so much gets in the way.

I was here for ALL of it!! I loved the sizzle, the fire and the spark. Tyler and Cherry aka Amber are perfect together!!! To me, this was one of the more realistic friends-to-lovers tropes. I didn't think anything felt forced, it all flowed nicely and the narrator was spot on!

Amber turns 30 and wants a baby, but the man in her life is not so reliable. so through a cup-a-sperm, it is! But things change, obviously. She has another dream to own her Nan's old property, but Brad is festering - this is the unreliable ex!

I loved the writing and I was hooked straight away, I wanted to know what made this book different from all the rest, and I got my answer. Realism. Authentic characters and a whole lot of charm! This book was so much fun and left a smile on my face at the end!

This review is being posted as part of the Don't You Want Me Baby blog tour hosted by Rachel’s Random Resources.

Don't You Want Me Baby is the latest fun romance from author Rachel Dove. Fans of a good friends to lovers romance, this one is for you! Add in a grumpy x sunshine dynamic, a slow burn romance and a hell of a lot of push and pull and you have this perfect easy read.

This was my first time reading anything from Rachel Dove but I instantly connected with her engaging writing style and well-paced narrative. Don't You Want Me Baby was a really easy read which I more or less read in a single sitting. I particularly loved the setting of the pub, which felt perfectly British and exactly what you’d want from your local.

Amber was a great protagonist who I warmed to very quickly. Some of her decision making and reluctance to open her heart to Tyler was frustrating but felt fitting given her backstory and the way she was treated by her ex-boyfriend. Her choice and confidence to have a baby as a single woman felt really empowering too, as did her status as a real boss babe with dreams of running her own pub. Tyler was a brilliant MMC who I had a real soft spot for instantly. If you’re a fan of the MMC giving a big impassioned speech where he confesses his love then you will LOVE Tyler.

Amber and Tyler had great chemistry and I was practically screaming at them to sort themselves out and get together. They both felt real and mature as characters in their 30s which felt important given the focus the plot had on choosing to start a family. This book is perfect if you’re after something with a dash of open-door spice and these scenes were both well written and well placed within the narrative.

Overall, Don't You Want Me Baby is perfect if you want a quick and easy read which is still packed full of your favourite romance tropes.

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ / 5 (Open Door)

I have posted my review on my blog www.yourschloe.co.uk

*Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel Dove, Rachel’s Random Resources and Boldwood Books.

Don’t You Want Me, Baby? by Rachel Dove

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

Blurb

Amber Fitzpatrick is about to hit thirty and has achieved none of the things she hoped to have done by now. Her dreams of owning her own business seem out of reach. Her boyfriend has just dumped her and now her biological clock is clanging in her head.

But maybe Amber doesn’t need a man for the next stage of her life? Maybe as an independent woman she can have a baby all by herself?

There’s only one problem. Handsome but excruciatingly annoying best friend Tyler Williams. Tyler thinks Amber’s motherhood plans are plain crazy! She just needs to wait for Mr. Right to come along…and maybe he’s closer than she thinks?

But with Amber hellbent on doing it alone, Tyler sets out to prove to her that being her best friend could also come with excellent benefits…if only she's brave enough to take the chance.

My Opinion

Amber has always wanted to take over the family pub but she hasn’t quite got her business plan sorted. Having read this book I have to say that it wasn’t what I expected, but I still managed to read the majority of it in one sitting. Rachel Dove writes relatable characters with some great character development. The chemistry between Tyler and Amber was clear from the start.

Rating 4/5

Restaurant manager, Amber, has her life and future all planned out with her boyfriend Brad – or so she thinks! Brad is becoming more and more flaky, cancelling plans at very last-minute, and whilst Amber buries her head and pretends that everything is ok, work colleagues and friends, Sharon and Tyler try and tell Amber that she deserves more than how Brad is treating her. Especially Tyler, who silently, but obviously, is completely in love with Amber.

When Brad ends things with Amber, choosing his career over a future with her, Amber decides it is time to focus on her dreams and passions in life – she had put things on hold for Brad. And one of those things is having a child – and she doesn’t need a man in her life to become a Mum. Throughout her heartbreak and focusing on the new in her life, her friend, Tyler, is always there supporting her on every level.

Will Amber see how Tyler feels about her? And will she actually admit to herself that she feels the same? Don’t You Want Me, Baby? is a fun and fresh read, with a dash of spice here and there – a perfect read for curling up on a cold winter afternoon 🌶️

As Amber is an older heroine and that’s rare in romance (though thankfully becoming less so!) I really wanted to like this story. However, it’s hard to like her, which makes liking her story difficult.

Amber wants a baby, but on her terms and pushing friends away is a recipe for loneliness… and no baby. Although there are ways around that (I’ve a gay friend who’s gone this route) which Amber is determined to take.

Her love interest, Tyler, is the guy who has always been there. I loved his character and how constant and present he was. Although he’s in love with Amber, he doesn’t play the “nice guy” card and seems content with the friend-zone while she sorts herself out.

When they do get together, there’s a break-up which I didn’t feel was necessary, especially when Amber and Tyler are behaving like grown-ups the rest of the time. They do make up (obviously) and it was nice to see them finally get it together. The spicy scenes rather made up for the fall out. All in all, this is a great story and I enjoyed reading it.

This was a cute romance with a very appealing MMC! I adored Tyler and the picture of him on the cover does not do him justice. I pictured someone more rugged. *swoon* I loved Amber’s friends and how they looked out for her. I got frustrated with Amber and how she so quickly pushed Tyler away, somehow thinking she was doing him a favor. *insert eyeroll* Despite that, it was a fun read overall and I would definitely check out more of this author’s work.

Loved this book! I was hooked from the synopsis, but the story was more than I could have imagined! Amber felt like a real person—flawed and far from perfect (hello, relatable!). Thankfully, Tyler and her best friend Sharon were there to keep her grounded and help her navigate her challenges. The ex was the ultimate slimeball, and Amber was definitely better off without him. Slow burn, but Tyler's intense, brooding POV chapters made the wait worthwhile. Loved it!

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

Hoping to have a family and her own business before she's thirty, Amber Fitzpatrick is in for a shock when her now ex dumps her, and is actively out to take her business. Relying on her friends to keep her going, Amber decides she doesn't need a man to be happy, and she can have a baby by herself. Her only issue - her stupidly hot best friend Tyler, who thinks she's crazy, and who she can't help thinking about. Is Amber happy to be in the friend zone, or will she and Tyler get a happy ending?

Wow, just wow. I knew from the synopsis that this was my kind of book, but it still blew me away. Amber was such a realistic character, and definitely not a perfect one. She had her flaws, and it was up to Tyler and BFF Sharon to keep her on track, and support her throughout her struggles. Her ex, Brad, was the epitome of a slime ball, and Amber was well rid of him. One of my only criticisms of the book was how long it took for both her and Tyler to actually get together properly, but reading Tyler's broody POV chapters was worth it. A fantastic modern romance.

The book mopped the floor with me.
I was on the Tyler train from the first sentence. The fact that he was wrapped around Amber’s finger made me adore him even more. I love that he fell first and was willing to so anything for her. That’s not weakness but strength in man that he is that vulnerable.
My heart broke for him during several scenes and I almost quit reading. I loved his words to Amber, she just had an obtuse thick head and believed she was doing the right thing by denying them. Silly.
I didn’t want the book to end. Every woman deserves a Tyler!!

Ughhhhhh I hate miscommunication, but I actually enjoy the execution most of the time. This is one of those times of course. It was a short and sweet punch. I do wish there had been more about the pregnancy, but I still had a good time.