3,5* rounded to 4* A nice enemy to lovers romance.

Marissa is a succesful and indipendent woman, on the verge of 35 years old who decides to get pregnant through IVF not having found a man to start a family with.
John Raikes is a doctor who's just moved back to NYC with his daughter, looking for a new beginning after his divorce. He's also Marissa's first love, who left years ago breaking her heart without further explanations.
Now fate seems to be playing some trick as John and Marissa meet again at the clinic where she's being followed.
What will the future reserve to them?

This is the second book in the True love serie.
I didn't overly loved the first one, but I liked this one better, maybe I'm in a different frame of mind, I liked the fact that there are references to Not in a billion years and we get more insights of same moments lived by different characters.
I would suggest NOT to read this story focusing on the pregnancy aspect: while it's a main focus at first, I think it's mostly a trope used to put together the two main characters...
John and Marissa are sparkling together and there's a lot of banter and funny moments.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing this book as an Arc in exchange of an honest review.

I stopped after chapter 2 (4%). It felt disjointed and the melodrama was too much for me. I didn’t want to spend any more time in the MCs’ heads. I’m guessing it will probably be a 2-3 star (it’s okay - liked it) range for audiences.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC.

This is a sweet Rom com - second chance romance - kind of ennemies to lovers - and kind of surprise pregnancy- single dad.

We follow the story of John and Marissa that were ex high school sweetheart, 16 years later.
It’s written in double POV, 1st person.
It’s also a clean Rom com, no spice.

The writing was really good and kept me entertained and interested in the story.
The plot of the book might be unrealistic, the way it was written was absolutely relatable.

I loved how Marissa wasn’t going to jump straight back into the relationship with her ex without taking the proper time to think.
The dialogues are funny, the best friend ans sister relationships are also realistic and funny.
Loved Nora the little smart one.

Overall I really liked this book, it’s lighthearted and I was really in the story because it was unfolding step by step.

I was kindly gifted a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

My thoughts:
This was the perfect romcom: it was short and sweet and everything I could want after a long week. I loved John and Nora, I liked Marissa a bit less because although I understood her reasons I found that she drew out the break for too long. Other than that I loooved this book, and I will definitely be reading the first book in this series :)

Summary:
Marissa Mayer, accomplished COO and app developer, desires motherhood after heartbreak. Fate reunites her with Dr. John Raikes, her grown-up teenage sweetheart, sparking conflicted emotions.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Being a single mom by choice the premiss of this book rubbed me the wrong way, but that is my own personal bias seeping in. The storyline in general was far-fetched and very overdramatic. I understand having your heartbroken, but I feel like Marissa's hatred and name calling was very juvenile. John's insta-love for her was also a little hard to get on board with. That said, overall I enjoyed John's mature and patient attempt on winning her over and I just adored Nora, though she spoke quite precociously for a first grader.

If you like:

Lover to enemies to lovers
Boy/girl next door
Second chance romance
Single dad
Accidental (ish) pregnancy

You are in for a treat! Absolutely loved this book and how realistic their relationship was!

Liczyłam, że to będzie nie tylko szybka lektura, ale też romantycznie wciągająca i może zabawna. Jak to już bywa z tymi moimi marzeniami i nastawieniem, musiałam się przejechać. To nie była zła książka jako taka, brakło w niej trochę logiki oraz solidnego zarysowania bohaterów. Jest wiele przyjemnych i lekkich książek, które jednak mają mocne podwaliny, dzięki którym lektura jest czystą przyjemnością. W "Baby, one more time" brakło mi dosłownie kilku zdań, jakie wyprostowałyby całość.
Marissa i John nie widzieli się od szesnastu lat. Kobieta nie ma szczęścia w miłości, ale bardzo pragnie zostać mamą. John jest rozwodnikiem, ma córkę, a także jest rewelacyjnym ginekologiem. Ponownie spotkają się przypadkiem - z nią na krześle ginekologicznym, czekającą na kolejne badanie w procesie przygotowania do zapłodnienia. Stara miłość nie rdzewieje, ale wciąż pielęgnowana nienawiść jest trudna do pokonania...
Co ja mogę powiedzieć, zaczęłam z ogromnym entuzjazmem, który rozdział za rozdziałem opadał. Największym minusem jest całe to zerwanie przed szesnastu laty. Problem mam z tym, że czytelnik nie dostaje solidnych emocji, jakie zarysowałyby związek głównej pary. Okej, to była intensywna młodzieńcza miłość, lecz to tak naprawdę niewiele wyjaśnia. Daje zarys, jednak nie umacnia całego bólu który po 16 latach (!!!) czuje bohaterka. Można by wręcz powiedzieć, że jest to nonsensowne, że minęło tyle lat, a Marissa tak mocno antagonizuje Johna. Ta bohaterka jest dorosłą, odnoszącą sukcesy kobietą, a kurczowo trzyma się wydarzeń sprzed tylu lat. I czytelnik oczekuje wręcz okrutnego, odrzucającego wyjaśnienia, dlaczego zerwali i czemu Marissa ma w sobie tyle goryczy względem Johna. Do samego epilogu wręcz nie mogłam uwierzyć, że wyjaśnienie było praktycznie żadne. Sama byłam wręcz zdezorientowana, że dostałam coś tak błahego, podczas gdy wszyscy bliscy Marissy mogliby Johna nabić za pal za to, co "zrobił jej w liceum".
Poza tym: Nora, córka Johna, ma zbyt dojrzałe teksty jak na sześciolatkę, ciężko mi było uwierzyć, że dziewczynka nie jest starsza. Komediowy aspekt niezbyt mnie śmieszył, w gruncie rzeczy nie była to zbyt zabawna książka.
Za to jestem mega zaciekawiona Blake i Gabrielem! Plus za to, że łatwo było się połapać w całej historii, chociaż zaczęłam od tomu drugiego. Wiem, że muszę złapać się za "Not in a Billion Years" bo Gabriel wydawał się miejscami całkiem uroczy 😊

Ogółem: jeśli lubicie romanse drugiej szansy oraz ciążowy temat przewodni, przymkniecie oko na bezsensowne pielęgnowanie urazy przez prawie połowę życia bohaterki, to będziecie zadowoleni z lektury 😊

Marissa is ready to start the journey towards having a child on her own. What she doesn’t expect is to run into her childhood sweetheart who decimated her heart in the doctor’s office. Why didn’t she know he was back in town? More importantly why does he keep hoping they can move on from their past?

Very intriguing premise, running into your ex at such a vulnerable moment earned my sympathy immediately. High school loves are intense and it can be hard to look at them through adult eyes even years later. Marissa’s stubbornness made sense to me especially since John moved really fast after their initial reunion. Cute kids, awkward Thanksgivings, and flirty texts made this a very fun weekend read. It was the second in a series and can be read as a standalone. However I felt that I would have enjoyed a couple secondary characters more had I read their story first.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If Jane The Virgin were Taylor Swift-ified, it would be this book. I enjoyed the characters and definitely did not predict that early plot twist. The thanksgiving chapter was probably my favorite scene of the entire book. Hilarious.

I thought this would have been a four star read until the ending, because I felt the ending was a little rushed.

This book has all you could ever want in a fun Romcom, or beach read. I will say right off the bat though, I was really hoping for some spice! I mean how do you have a hot, single doctor dad who is giving nothing but golden retrieverand not add in all the dirty details?!? 😩

Even though the book was fade to black, I will not consider this a complaint. Camilla Isley completely held my attention the whole way through. Accidental pregnancy is one of my all time favorite tropes especially in a romcom, ESPECIALLY when the dad is a doctor. (Idk why but it seriously is the ultimate sub-trope.)

The book was fun, the characters were great, I loved the little bit of miscommunication thrown in between family members, adding in some brief low level drama. There were a few parts that had me swoooooning and I know I would be no where near as stubborn as Marissa when it came to giving in to that adorable man.

I love how independent Marissa was. Even though towards the end she began to not want to be so, “do it on my own”. I’m glad that it was never questioned by family or friends when she decided to go to the fertility dr to begin with, to have a baby one her own. Everyone was so supportive and I think the author did a really good job in showing that she was a successful woman on her own, she had the ability to, and did, make a decision for herself, and did not need to be questioned or doubted and everyone (including John) respected that. This book is a perfect addition to The Year of the Barbie Movie. 🩷💜

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🫑

Baby, One More Time is the second book in the True Love series by Camilla Isley. A few parts actually overlap with the first book, Not in a Billion Years, so it was fun to revisit the characters AND see some events from a different perspective. While I think reading both books is the better way to go, Baby, One More Time could easily be read as a standalone. I see the potential setup for another book in the series, so I'm hoping the series will continue!

This book follows the story of Marissa and John, who dated in high school but had a rather abrupt breakup 16 years ago. Marissa has decided to try to have a baby through IVF, then discovers that John is a doctor at the clinic she is going to - let's just say that was an awkward way to see each other for the first time in 16 years! The story alternates between both characters' points of view, giving a clear picture of where things stand with each of them. I thought both Marissa and John were likable characters, and I enjoyed seeing Blake and Gabriel again from the previous book.

This book was a quick read and flowed well. At times it seemed a little redundant, especially within Marissa's thoughts, but it was also understandable given her complicated situation. It’s definitely a slow burn romance, but it has a satisfying ending.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the free advance review copy of Baby, One More Time! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

Lovers of the second chance trope, get ready to devour this book!

This was such a fun and light read that had me giggling throughout most of it!

Isley touches on some harder topics throughout the book and puts an interesting twist on the pregnancy trope that had me absolutely captivated (and this says a lot considering I am not the biggest fan of the pregnancy trope)!

I highly recommend this one!

Thank you NetGalley and Camilla Isley for providing me with this e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

Marissa is a single, driven business woman and soon to be mom. Her biological clock is ticking and she’s tired of waiting for someone to be her Mr. Perfect, especially after her high school sweetheart left her on prom night. Suddenly he’s back in her life - but will she keep him at arms length to save her heart?

This book is sweet and so different from any “pregnancy trope” I’ve ever read. I loved every minute of it!

My first time reading Camilla Isley and I totally fell in love with her writing. Baby, One More Time is an amazing laugh out loud romantic comedy that will make you swoon and just plain happy. This book felt like a heart felt hug and I loved every bit of it with all the funny twists that kept coming.
Marissa Meyer is a super successful thirty-four old woman living in New York but deep down a commitment phobe after a bad break with her highschool sweetheart. Still she is determined not to pause her life and is ready to tackle the next stage of her life by having a baby on her own. But she doesn't know that the clinic where she is getting treated has a new doctor named John Raikes aka her most hated ex.
John has recently moved to New York with her daughter for a fresh start after a divorce. Though he is world class successful ob/gyn and neonatal surgeon his biggest regret is breaking with Marissa when he was eighteen years old. Imagine his surprise when he comes face to face in an examination room with his past. And now he is determined to win her back no matter what.
Definitely a must read!!
Coming out on 20th Jan 2024

This book was ok. The reason for the characters not getting along in the beginning of the book seemed very juvenile. I liked the characters but i wasn't a fan of the author's writing style. The story moved slow in the beggining and then seemed very rushed in the end. The title of the book is very catchy.

I absolutely adored this second chance romance. I'm especially partial to enemies to lovers second chances and this one was done so well.

I admired Marissa for her being strong and I liked that she really took her time to decide what to do and that it wasn't and insta back in love. And I swooned over John, like one of the gals in the chat app said, if Marissa hadn't taken him back, I would have--even if he's fictional, which is his only true flaw.

I thought all the medical mishaps were fun and original. And reading the author's note, I really liked how she portrayed the whole IVF process sharing her personal experience. It was done really well.

The Taylor Swift's moment when he writes her signs from the house next door was the cherry on my rom-com cake.

All in all, I flew through the pages and couldn't put this book down. It was great also to see Gabriel and Blake be back and get more insights into their couple, too. I'm still swooning over Thomas from his previous book, so I can't wait for book 3 in the series.

I had high hopes for this book, but unfortunately, I couldn't finish it. My first major cringe scene was the scene where he just *had* to be the one to perform a pelvic exam on her.. I was too overwhelmed by the sperm donor mix-up. The book's idea was cute, but the mix of scenes made it difficult for me to keep reading.

Baby, One More Time...

This is the second Camilla Isley book I have read and enjoyed them both. I love how each one is an enemies to lovers type story but isn't at the same time. Both stories involve babies as well which is always a cute story line. And I love that the story follows best friends and each get a book. Marissa and John fit together nicely. John being someone from the past that Marissa didn't like, now he is a doctor a completely different person. This story is quite different from her other story as Marissa is seeking single parenthood. Not in a relationship she needs to go the artificial way. As Marissa is going through the process, John inserts himself in her life more and more. Marissa has a difficult time with this but as time goes along, her heart starts to change.
Enjoy Marissa and John's story. Always fun when characters come back as well. You will get to enjoy of Blake and Gabriel.

I didn't enjoy this in the way that I thought I would. Some scenes made me uncomfortable very early on. The single dad trope was also kind of a surprise because there were no hints about it in the blurb. I'm still giving this book three stars because Camilla Isley's writing is as easy to read and follow as always, and I think the direction she took for the main characters in this book is gutsy, especially for such a sensitive theme.

I was so excited about this book, but honestly I was not able to finish. My first major cringe scene was the scene where he just *had* to be the one to preform a pelvic exam on her. It felt super weird, awkward, and border line medical malpractice. Very uncomfortable. And then the sperm donor mix up was just too much for me. Super cute idea for a book, but with those scenes together it was just too much for me to continue reading.