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!

This story follows Marrisa and John ex highschool sweethearts who meet again in the most awkward way possible. Marrisa is an independent women with a wish to be a mom While John is a bit of a golden retriever and still so ever in love with Marrisa . The way he takes care of her and the baby is just so sweet I loved it . One of my favorite things has to be how hard he fought for their relationship was just so cute and the their banter had me smiling alot . This was a sweet romance filled with alot of tension and love . I definitely recommend .

Thank you Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book. I truly struggle to understand where all the 4 and 5 star reviews are coming from with this one. I’m a sucker for a second chance romance, and I gave it my best effort, but this one just did not work for me in annnnnny way. The immaturity of the FMC was extremely off-putting. I understand being hurt and left behind by your first love, but to lose your mind whenever someone so much as mentions his name sixteen years later?! Refusing to see your parents because the man moved in next door? Come on. Avoiding the proper use of female anatomy terms when a big part of the book was about her visiting an IVF clinic in an attempt to get pregnant? Not to mention the absolute absurdity of the sample mixup. I could have seen that one coming a mile away but the explanation for it was ridiculous. Some of the situations the characters found themselves in were meant to be funny, but I just found them to be very uncomfortable. Something else that was extremely strange for me was the author’s use of complex terminology when writing about the character’s professions. It felt a bit like a roller-coaster ride to go from cringey dialogue and immature behavior to trying to understand IVF research and app development.

I had high hopes for this one, but ultimately it did not work for me.

3.5 Stars

Marissa Mayer is the COO of a successful fintech startup and is trying to have a baby through IVF, but things went in a different direction when the clinic made a huge blunder.

Marissa is a workaholic. She has trust issues, which is understandable after John broke her heart when they were 18 years old. She is also dramatic and sometimes childish. John is a doctor at the same clinic where she is receiving IVF treatment. He is caring and wants to make up for what he did in the past. He made sure he was with her every time she needed him. Nora, John’s daughter, is adorable. I like how Nora and Marissa have grown closer, and that Marissa has accepted Nora as part of her family. It was good to see them picking up the pieces after their fallout.

Things I didn’t like were the repetitive conversations in the second half; they were going back and forth with the same conversation.

The pacing of the book is done well. It was a light and fun read with a little drama.

Recommended if you like the Second Chance, Enemies to Lovers, and Single Dad tropes.

“Somewhere behind the angry woman we just met, there's still the girl who used to love you. You just have to bring her back."
"I promise to work hard until you believe in me again, Mari. I messed up, I did everything wrong last time. But I'm not running away this time. I'm launching myself straight into the fight. I'll have enough faith for the both of us."

Baby, One More Time by Camilla Isley is a second chance, single dad, high school sweethearts romance novel that I got to read an advanced copy of. This was a truly beautiful story that I really admired along with loving the authors writing. Camilla Isley's writing is phenomenal along with expressing such a delicate topic of women who struggle to have kids and end up going through the journey of having to do IVF. i really enjoyed this book and think the two main characters Marissa and Johnny grew a lot through the duration of the story for the better. I loved seeing Johnny in his Golden Retriever Era of groveling in order to win Marissa over. This was a great 4 star read that comes out January 20th 2024.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC of Baby, One More Time.
I enjoyed reading this book. It's a companion to Not in a Billion Years. And I loved the dual povs of Marissa and John. And I can't wait to read the 3rd book in this series.

I almost smothered myself with my own pillow trying to read this book in bed desperately trying and failing to not wake up my husband with my giggles, laughter and snorting! I love this series and I do highly recommend that you read it in order as Blake and Gabriel's story started in the previous book and concludes in this one along with Marissa and John's story unfolding in this one. Ok, picture this. You've decided that you are no longer going to wait for the ever=elusive Mr. Right and you go to a fertility clinic to start IVF treatments so you can have a baby on your own, only to come face to face with the guy who shattered your belief in love in the first place. Yeah, it gets funnier and funnier as he tries to prove that he's not going to do a runner and she just can't find the trust they need to move forward. Never fear, the author wouldn't dare leave you without a happily ever after......or would she??? Hmmm, you'll have to read and find out for yourself! (but seriously, she doesn't leave you hanging and it's a fun trip getting to the HEA!) If you like a fun, laugh out loud romance then you are going to love this one!